Tomatoes back on some Canadian fast-food menus
June 15, 2008
THE CANADIAN PRESS
Tomatoes are back on the menu at various Canadian restaurants.
Several fast-food chains and grocery stores in Canada and the U.S. temporarily removed selected varieties of tomatoes as a precaution a week ago after some red plum, red Roma and round-red varieties were linked to the rare salmonella saintpaul outbreak in the U.S.
But now Tim Hortons and Cara Operations, which operates Swiss Chalet Rotisserie & Grill, Milestone's Grill and Bar, Montana's Cookhouse, Kelsey's Neighbourhood Bar & Grill, Harvey's and Coza! Tuscan Grill, are once again offering fresh sliced tomatoes to customers.
A statement from Cara Operations said it had brought in tomatoes from regions that were not affected by the outbreak.
McDonald's Corp. said Saturday the fast food chain's U.S. restaurants will re-introduce sliced tomatoes in the next seven to 10 days while Burger King said last week it had begun receiving new shipments of the summer staple.
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention says since April, at least 228 illnesses in 23 states have been linked to the tainted tomatoes and may have been a factor in the death of a Texas cancer patient who had the same salmonella strain.
While Canadian tomatoes have always been in the clear, U.S. authorities still haven't determined the source of the tainted tomatoes but have now ruled out New Mexico, Baja California and Indiana as the likely origin of the food poisoning.
thestar.com